security - Computer Definition

In telecommunications, protection of system and network resources from external attack or internal subversion, thereby ensuring that those resources are available only to those who have the legitimate right to use them and, further, to ensure that they are used only for legitimate purposes. Security encompasses the following dimensions.

Having protection from one’s adversaries, particularly from
those who would do harm—intentionally, or otherwise, to property
or to a person. Information Technology security issues include but are not
limited to authentication, critical infrastructure protection, disaster
recovery, intrusion detection and network management, malicious code software
protection, physical security of networks, security policies, the sharing of
rights and directories, and wireless security.

Security breaches occur daily, with some of them making
media headlines and embarrassing the targeted companies or agencies. On January
30, 2005, for example, a security incident occurred that brought considerable
embarrassment to the Dutch armed forces. About 75 pages of highly classified
documents about human traffickers from the computers of the Dutch Royal Marechaussee
(the armed forces contingency that guards the Dutch borders) somehow found
their way to the controversial weblog Geen Stijl (meaning “No Style”).

The conjecture is that a Dutch armed forces staffer worked
on the documents at home and unwittingly shared the contents of his computer’s
hard drive to numerous others when he logged onto KaZaA—which is unsecure.

This was not the first time that the Dutch have made media
headlines over computer security issues. In 2004, the Dutch public prosecutor’s
office was equally embarrassed after it was publicized that the prosecutor
threw his old PC into the trash, making available for public scrutiny his hard
drive with hundreds of pages of classified data on high-profile Dutch crimes—as
well as his own credit card numbers and personal tax file information. As a
result, the prosecutor resigned from his job.

security - Investment & Finance Definition

A type of investment instrument
that represents either an ownership interest in a company or evidence of debt.
Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, variable annuities, and investment contracts all
are types of securities. A few other types of securities include debentures,
futures, puts, calls, warrants, and mineral rights. Insurance policies and
fixed annuities typically are not securities. The term security is precisely
defined in the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as well as through case law.

security - Legal Definition

n

Safety; the condition of being protected against
harm.

Collateral
given or promised to guarantee the repayment of a debt.

A document that is evidence of
ownership in a corporation (for example, a stock
or share), or a creditor’s
being owed money by a corporation or government (for example, a bond).